Shoe-last.



P'. H. DE RocH'EIImNI.Y

SHOE LAST.

APPLICATION FILED IULY I0. I9I6. 1,28L305. Patented 00u15,- 191s.

2 SHEETS-SHED l.

f "if P. Ha DE ROCHEMONT.

sHoE LAST.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY l0. IHG. v 1,281,305. Patented 0@t.15,191.

A 2 SHEETS-SHEE 2.

rnniinvs n. nu nocnniuoivr, or LoUIsvILLE, KENTUCKY.

sHoE-Lasr.

speication of Letters raient.

Patented Qct.- 15, 191181.

Application led July 10, 1916. Serial No. 108,528.

' To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, PERKiNs H. DE Roerm- MoNT, a citizen ofy the United States, r'esiding at Louisville, in the county of Jeerson and State of Kentucky, have invented certainnewV and useful Improvements in Shoe- Lasts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to shoe lasts and more particularly to retaining means embodied in the last for detachably holding upon the last the inner sole of a shoe during the process of manufacture of the shoe.

In shoe manufacturing it is the custom to temporarily tack the inner sole of the shoe to the bottom of the last by several tacks or nails, one of which is placed in the heel, another in the toe portion, and a third usually adjacent to the arch or shank. The repeated nailing of shoe soles to the last causes the last to become picked or broken and so filled with holes that they will no longer securely hold the tacks or nails. Y

In metal bottom lasts which are commonly used small holes or openings are. provided in the metal surface through which the tacks or nails may be driven into the last. Inasmuch as the tacksv or nails are always driven ina small area defined by the opening in the metal bottom,.that portion of the last soon becomes worn or broken away and fails to retain the tacks or nails.

The repeated driving of tacks in confined areas necessitates frequent patching or repairs to lasts. It is not unusual to insert a patch or block in the worn last to receive the tacks or nails. However, such blocks or inserts are soon destroyed in the same manner as the original last. Sundry attempts have been made to overcome the difficulty by providing inserts of rubber, composition, or other material, but such eXpedients have not proven entirely successful and vhave not been very extensively introduced in the trade.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, economical and eflicient means of gripping and holding the tack or nail which willl not be readily injured by'the repeated nailing o'r tacking of soles to the last but which'will maintain its eliiciency throughlong periods of use, which may be applied to existing lasts or to new lasts at the time of manufacture, which will' notneces'sitate any'change'in the present methods or routine of shoemanufacture(andwhich en t@ saura-y a as esta'.

Vith the above primary and other incidental objects in view, as will more fully app ear in the specification, the invention conslsts of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, andthe mode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, F igureY l is a bottom plan view of a metal bottom last to which the invention forming the subject matter hereof has been applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly broken away of a last embodying the invention. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the application of the shoe sole to the last. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail perspective views of the retaining or tack engaging device `in two different forms. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of a further modification of the retaining or tack engaging means. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a different embodiment of the nail engaging or retaining means. Fig. 9 is a bottom plan vieu7 of a portion of the'last with the construction shown in Fig. 8 applied thereto. Fig. l0 is a perspective view of a further modification or embodiment of the invention. Fig. l1 illustrates an additional embodiment thereof. Fig. 12 is a bottom plan view of a last embodying the construction shown in either Fig. l0 or Fig. l1.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout theV several views.

Referring to the drawings, l is an ordinary shoe last to which is secured the usual metal bottom 2 having therein openings'or holes 3, as commonly provided, through which the nail or tack may be driven to vsecure the inner sole in place. In the present construction, however, instead of driving the nail or tack 4through the hole or opening 3.

directly into the last body, fthe last bodyy is mortised or recessed as at 4 and in this recess or mortise l is located resilient tack engaging or gripping means adapted by its gripping action to hold atack or nail in place.

The'tack or nail gripping or engaging means may be provided'in various forms 'of embodiment illustrated throughout the drawings and inother forms which will occur to mechanics skilled Ainthe art. In its simplest f form the gripping means comprises a'he'lical spring 5 as' shown in Fig. 4, the

to engage and grip the shank of the nail or tack driven between them. If the spring possesses sufficient tension or stiffness it will not be necessary that the end of the spring shall abut upon the end walls of the mortise or recess. However,

the tack or nail between adjacent coils of the spring will then place the opposite poi'- tions of the spring under tension whereby the tension of the entire spring will, to some extent, be utilized in gripping the nail or tack.

The gripping or engaging means comprising the spring 5 or equivalent means is retained within the mortise or recess 4 by the metal bottom 2 of the last. The recess or mortise 4 in which the gripping means is located is of larger size than the hole or opening 3 whereby the metal bottom 2 is caused to overhang the side walls of the mortise or recess and so prevent the disengagement of the tack gripping means.

While in practice an ordinary cylindrical gripping spring has been successfully used, the spring is preferably, though not necessarily, flattened on one side as shown in Fig. 5, or on both sides as in Fig. G. In order to increase the tenacity of the nail or tack gripping means the springs may be arranged in multiple within the mortise or recess 4c by inserting one spring within another as indicated at 6 and 7, Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, or by super-posing flattened coil springs one upon the other within the mortise or recess, as shown in Fig. 7.

In the construction shown in these figures the nail or tack 8 employed in attaching the insole 9 is simultaneously engaged and held by both springs, each operating independent of the other. If the tack or nail is sufficiently long or the spring sufficiently shallow the tack or nail may be doubly engaged by the coils at the opposite sides of each. spring as indicated in Figs. 5 and 7. In

order to provide a more extended frictional or engaging surface, thereby increasing the tenacity of the nail engaging means, there may be employed in lieu of the helical or coil spring shown in Figs. 1 to 7 a fiat strip 10 folded or plaited upon itself as shown in detail in Fig. 8. In this construction the tack or nail will be driven between the leaves or successive laminations of the engaging member which will aiford frictional contact with the tack or nail throughout substantially its entire length. This engaging member is located within the recess or mortise in the last in the same manner as the coils or helical spring before mentioned and is retained 4by the overlying metal bottom having therein the hole or opening Sfor the y insertion of the tack as before described and it is desirable that theyy necessarily, should do so inasmuch as the lforcing of tension as to afford a strong gripping action when placed under tension by the forcing apart of the plaits or folds by the insertion of a tack or nail. The endsof the folded or plaited member preferably, though not abut upon the ends of the mortise. The member 10 is insertedwithin the recess or mortise with its edge outward as is indicated in Fig. 9. The length and width of the member is somewhat greater than the opening 3 whereby it will be retained in the inortise or recess by the overhanging edge of the metal bottom 2. To facilitate Vthe engagement ofthe tack the edge of the strip forming the member 10 is preferably rounded or beveled to guide the tack to the crevice between successive folds.

In Fig. 10 there are shown a plurality of gripping members each comprising la wire or strand folded or plaited upon itself throughout a series of reverse bends in a common plane. These members 13 are ar-r ranged in superposed position yone upon the other with the plaits or bendsof each alternate. member arranged at right angles to the preceding and succeeding members. This construction is designed to afford a criscross arrangementof the gripping strands between which the tack or nail is driven. The construction is such that the tack or nail will be engaged 'on all faces, z'. e., on opposite faces by the first strand and on faces at right angles thereto by the succeeding strand, etc. These gripping members 13 are assembled one upon the other in the recess or mortise and are held positioned by the overhang ing edges of the metal bottom 2 through the opening 3 of which the tacks or nails are driven into engagementV with the 'inclosed gripping member. This cris-cross arrangement is clearly indicated in Fig. 12. In Fig. 11 there is shown a Vfurther .modication somewhat similar to the construction shown in Figs. 5 andG` wherein one spring is inserted within another spring. However, in the construction shown in Fig. 11 the strands or coils of theinserted spring are arranged at right angles to those of Jche inclosing spring whereby a criss-cross arrangement similar to that aEorded by the gripping member 13 and as shown in Fig. 12 is aorded. This construction serves to grip the nail or tack on all sides whereas the con.- struction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 engages only the opposite faces of the tack or nail.

It will thus be seen that numerous modifications or embodiments involving the same fundamental idea may be developed.

From the above description vit will be appai'ent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing-the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable but which obviously iso ment of parts, without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

W'hile in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to certain structural features, it is to be understood that the means and construction herein described comprise but onemode of putting the invention into effect and the invention is therefore claimed broadly in any of its possible forms or modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. The combination with a shoe last or like body of a plurality of resilient spring members each comprising an independent series of substantially parallel bights or turns embedded in said body, the bights or turns of each series being adapted to simultaneously engage and temporarily hold a tack or nail entered between successive bights or turns of the respective series.

2. The combination with a shoe last or like body of a plurality of resilient spring members each comprising an independent series of substantially parallel bights or turns embedded in said body, the bights or turns of each series being arranged angularly in relation to those of the adjacent series, said angular-ly arranged bights o1" turns being adapted to simultaneously engage a tack or nail entered between succeeding bights or bends upon different faces to temporarily hold the tack or nail in adjusted position.

3. The combination with a shoe last or like body of a plurality of helical springs embedded in said body, one of said springs being inclosed within another, the bights or turns of the respective springs being adapted to simultaneously engage a tack or nail entered therebetween.

4. The combination with a shoe last or like body of a plurality of helical springs embedded in said body, one of said springs being inclosed within another, the bights or turns of the inclosed spring being arranged angularly in relation with those of the inclosing spring, the bights or turns of the respective springs being adapted to simultaneously engage a tack or nail inserted therebetween.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of June, A. D. 1916.

PERKINS I-I. DE ROCHEMON'I;

Vitnesses:

M. D. ELsToN, ETHELDA SCHUFF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing' the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

